Engagement ring help!
Discussion
Troubleatmill said:
addz86 said:
Some good ideas so far cheers,
I did ponder getting a dud ring to do the deed then make a weekend of going to choose a proper one that'll she'll definitely like, I've really enjoyed reading Eddies thread so don't know whether my budget would allow for one to be made from scratch?
Phone / email him and find out.I did ponder getting a dud ring to do the deed then make a weekend of going to choose a proper one that'll she'll definitely like, I've really enjoyed reading Eddies thread so don't know whether my budget would allow for one to be made from scratch?
He doesn't bite
Mail Eddie and get dummy ring for trip.....
Prohibiting said:
Having one made from scratch will be cheaper than a retail shop window ring. I've been through the whole process! The ring I had made cost me £2550 and then valued and insured for £4800.
I have my girlfriends engagement ring upstairs in the safe at present. I had it custom made with stones from an old ring reset into a modern style. Cost £4k for the ring but its value (for insurance since you'd never get that for selling it) is signficantly higher....Its very similar to this (and was specially made by the same guy):
http://www.shaunleane.com/shop/by-type/rings/plati...
She'll get to wear it sometime this year perhaps...
Either get a dummy ring and then take her shopping or to someone who can make one for you.
A friend of mine is a diamond expert and also does custom jewellery. As my gf is an amateur jewellery maker he gave us a very informative couple of hours on diamonds and stones. Very interesting where he showed us two diamonds, the same price but which one he would choose.
www.grahamtom.com
I currently have him working on something ready for May
A friend of mine who got married last year said that the ring her, now husband got her, was not what she thought she would have chosen, but because he had spent so much time choosing it, she loved it. My other mat's wife was very particular about what she wanted, so he essentially told her to choose something and then he went out and bought it.
Depends on what you other half will be happy with?
A friend of mine is a diamond expert and also does custom jewellery. As my gf is an amateur jewellery maker he gave us a very informative couple of hours on diamonds and stones. Very interesting where he showed us two diamonds, the same price but which one he would choose.
www.grahamtom.com
I currently have him working on something ready for May
A friend of mine who got married last year said that the ring her, now husband got her, was not what she thought she would have chosen, but because he had spent so much time choosing it, she loved it. My other mat's wife was very particular about what she wanted, so he essentially told her to choose something and then he went out and bought it.
Depends on what you other half will be happy with?
Propose to her without a ring, driver her down to Jewellery Quarter in Birmingham the next day, which isn't far from you, and let her pick one (sensibly discussing budget beforehand!). Then go for a nice meal in Birmingham after.
For the diamonds, ask them nicely if you can view them in daylight if comparing them.
I picked well as she isn't materialistic, ring was cheap and she thought paying more for blemishes not visible to the human eye was just stupid 
And diamond is small as she doesn't do bling.
For the diamonds, ask them nicely if you can view them in daylight if comparing them.
DoubleSix said:
Involving the OH in the process is horribly unromantic to my mind but plenty seem to do it.
Seems many these days just want the biggest stone they can get with no consideration given to quality.
It's more personal for her to choose imo. In my case the OH liked the basket in one ring, and the overall design of the other. Seems many these days just want the biggest stone they can get with no consideration given to quality.
DoubleSix said:
Seems many these days just want the biggest stone they can get with no consideration given to quality.
Then you know that you have picked the wrong girl and have time to ditch her I picked well as she isn't materialistic, ring was cheap and she thought paying more for blemishes not visible to the human eye was just stupid And diamond is small as she doesn't do bling.Edited by hyphen on Monday 27th February 10:57
Ah yes, but a 0.50c colour D diamond with VVS1 compared to a 0.70c colour H diamond with VS2, albeit similar priced to each other, the smaller but higher quality diamond will still be worth what you paid, probably more in 50 years time 
The larger but poorer quality diamonds only chance would be to pawn it for £200 
The larger but poorer quality diamonds only chance would be to pawn it for £200 Prohibiting said:
Ah yes, but a 0.50c colour D diamond with VVS1 compared to a 0.70c colour H diamond with VS2, albeit similar priced to each other, the smaller but higher quality diamond will still be worth what you paid, probably more in 50 years time The larger but poorer quality diamonds only chance would be to pawn it for £200
A fair comparison on terms of 0.50ct Dvvs1 to 0.70ct Hvs2. Side by side, more buyers will probably side with the 0.70 Hvs2. H is a white stone as oppose to the D which is colourless, H is still a fine colour. Stones of this size you not see the difference in vvs1 to vs2 (for a proper cert such as GIA or HRD) with the naked eye. It's only with careful scrutiny with a x10 loupe that the difference may be apparent.The larger but poorer quality diamonds only chance would be to pawn it for £200 However, as for the future value of a 0.70ct H vs2 being £200, this is simply wrong. Tiffany & Co set their base level in terms of colour at H or better, and vs2 or better in terms of clarity. There is nothing wrong with selecting a white stone (G/H) in vs as opposed to vvs. An important point to note is that you should always view stones in person, as often preconceived ideas about colour and clarity change once you have viewed goods. It's important to find a dealer who can show a range and explain the differences.
OP, hope this helps....
Cblair246 said:
Unless you very specifically know what she's wants I.e. She has told you, then I would consider buying a fake ring and giving her that in the interim. Once back home take her shopping and get what she wants herself not what you think she wants.
I'd agree with this. Won't be quite the thing in Cape Verde, but when I proposed in sunny Redditch - I know how to treat a woman! - I gave her a Haribo ring. We went into the Jewellery Quarter the next day and she chose something she liked.
I've been married to my wife over 8 years now, together 15, and she was back in the jewellers before the morning was out with the items I gave her for her 40th. Never again!
hyphen said:
Propose to her without a ring, driver her down to Jewellery Quarter in Birmingham the next day, which isn't far from you, and let her pick one (sensibly discussing budget beforehand!). Then go for a nice meal in Birmingham
I'm leaning towards this kind of idea I think, id like to involve her in some way to make sure it's a ring she likes, not as romantic as a surprise I know but after doing to subtle digging it appears we have very different tastes I'm gonna have a look into a temporary ring to do the deed with, I just hope it doesn't look better than the actual article we pick....
Ah just the man, I wanted to ask your opinion but felt a bit cheeky as I'm quite a distance from your shop and wouldn't want to ask for you're advice to then possibly go elsewhere...
After running my plans by my best mate we said it'd be a nice idea to buy a diamond to present her with then have a ring made to suit, £1000 - £1200 budget on a diamond then perhaps £400 or so on a platinum band if that would cover it?
I've been reading your (Eddie) thread with much interest and that's what gave me the idea to have a ring made, do you get many request over the phone/email or is it mainly face to face?
Thanks everyone for the help so far!
After running my plans by my best mate we said it'd be a nice idea to buy a diamond to present her with then have a ring made to suit, £1000 - £1200 budget on a diamond then perhaps £400 or so on a platinum band if that would cover it?
I've been reading your (Eddie) thread with much interest and that's what gave me the idea to have a ring made, do you get many request over the phone/email or is it mainly face to face?
Thanks everyone for the help so far!
I notice in your original post you say you want to get her something you can be proud of her wearing. Unfortunately this ring has nothing to do with what you want and you need to get her what she would want!
My now wife had a ring that she loved so much (I hated it) she basically said, you could even just propose to me with this and I would still say yes. It was tough to beat as she loved it so much. It was a gift from a friend of hers who had died many years earlier and this ring was left to my wife in the will, something like that anyway.
Eventually after much looking, asking her mum, sister and friends we all knew it would be impossible to beat this ring as she loved it so much. This was made even harder by the sheer size of the thing - it was a 3ct IF stone and is apparently very valuable.
In the end, I stole the ring from her jewellery box one evening, took it to work with me and stopped by a friend who is a jewellery designer and craftsman. I explained the situation and he thoroughly inspected her ring, taking measurements, sizings and other key details. That evening I then quietly replaced said ring and she was none the wiser.
Between us, we re-designed the ring but in budget, I got to make a few small adjustments that I wanted and thought would improve the design and I hand-picked the stone. We ended up with a platinum band with a round cut diamond that was about 0.8ct IF, D solitaire stone. All in the ring cost about £3,500 this was £500 below my budget but the value of the ring is much higher and is therefore insured for quite a bit. The jeweller who made it said to buy it in a shop would be something like £7k so going custom can get you a beautiful piece for less than you'd pay in a shop..
I proposed and she was over the moon. Personally I love her engagement ring that she wears and so does she. But it's not exactly what I had pictured her to wear but having her happy was more important! She loves her engagement ring so much that her other ring hasn't been worn since I proposed and is still in it's little safe that we have to keep it in!!
You can get some good deals online, check out blue-nile for diamonds. They sell stones and bands and you can pair them up nicely. If you want to go the custom route there's no way you'll get something back in time for March 11.
I found high street shops like H Samuel, Goldsmiths and Ernest Jones to be a waste of time. It's all extremely overpriced. I really like the idea of a dud ring to use for the gesture and then getting her what she wants after. You can pick up a decent looking CZ ring on eBay for like £7. Well worth it if you are not sure what to get her.
My now wife had a ring that she loved so much (I hated it) she basically said, you could even just propose to me with this and I would still say yes. It was tough to beat as she loved it so much. It was a gift from a friend of hers who had died many years earlier and this ring was left to my wife in the will, something like that anyway.
Eventually after much looking, asking her mum, sister and friends we all knew it would be impossible to beat this ring as she loved it so much. This was made even harder by the sheer size of the thing - it was a 3ct IF stone and is apparently very valuable.
In the end, I stole the ring from her jewellery box one evening, took it to work with me and stopped by a friend who is a jewellery designer and craftsman. I explained the situation and he thoroughly inspected her ring, taking measurements, sizings and other key details. That evening I then quietly replaced said ring and she was none the wiser.
Between us, we re-designed the ring but in budget, I got to make a few small adjustments that I wanted and thought would improve the design and I hand-picked the stone. We ended up with a platinum band with a round cut diamond that was about 0.8ct IF, D solitaire stone. All in the ring cost about £3,500 this was £500 below my budget but the value of the ring is much higher and is therefore insured for quite a bit. The jeweller who made it said to buy it in a shop would be something like £7k so going custom can get you a beautiful piece for less than you'd pay in a shop..
I proposed and she was over the moon. Personally I love her engagement ring that she wears and so does she. But it's not exactly what I had pictured her to wear but having her happy was more important! She loves her engagement ring so much that her other ring hasn't been worn since I proposed and is still in it's little safe that we have to keep it in!!
You can get some good deals online, check out blue-nile for diamonds. They sell stones and bands and you can pair them up nicely. If you want to go the custom route there's no way you'll get something back in time for March 11.
I found high street shops like H Samuel, Goldsmiths and Ernest Jones to be a waste of time. It's all extremely overpriced. I really like the idea of a dud ring to use for the gesture and then getting her what she wants after. You can pick up a decent looking CZ ring on eBay for like £7. Well worth it if you are not sure what to get her.
Edited by ashleyman on Tuesday 28th February 00:56
addz86 said:
Ah just the man, I wanted to ask your opinion but felt a bit cheeky as I'm quite a distance from your shop and wouldn't want to ask for you're advice to then possibly go elsewhere...
After running my plans by my best mate we said it'd be a nice idea to buy a diamond to present her with then have a ring made to suit, £1000 - £1200 budget on a diamond then perhaps £400 or so on a platinum band if that would cover it?
I've been reading your (Eddie) thread with much interest and that's what gave me the idea to have a ring made, do you get many request over the phone/email or is it mainly face to face?
Thanks everyone for the help so far!
With the PH guys it is 90% over the phone and email. They send me the criteria and I see what's available. After running my plans by my best mate we said it'd be a nice idea to buy a diamond to present her with then have a ring made to suit, £1000 - £1200 budget on a diamond then perhaps £400 or so on a platinum band if that would cover it?
I've been reading your (Eddie) thread with much interest and that's what gave me the idea to have a ring made, do you get many request over the phone/email or is it mainly face to face?
Thanks everyone for the help so far!
I know how much everyone loves the certification on diamonds but from a reputable dealer you should also consider non-certified. The cost of the cert will be a hundred or more pounds on top of the stone and for a sub carat item it has no real benefit. Your eye cannot see the difference between a D and a G in daylight. Nor the difference between IF and Vs quality. Just compare and asses using your head. A crap stone is obvious.
I sell a lot of my stones non cert and unless over 1.5ct most insurance companies and valuers will cover a non cert stone.
PM me your specifics and I'll see what I've got.
Eddie
TL:DR - get a bespoke one made, or check out auctions too. It doesn't have to be diamond either - not every girl likes them that much.
I concur with everyone saying get her something bespoke that you design or choose together. She's going to wear it forever so she better love it and feel like it was a decision you both had a part in. Definitely avoid high street jewellers. They seem to be full of people trying to sell their stock rather than listening for what you are really looking for.
I get my fiancée jewellery for every birthday / Christmas etc. It's just a thing that has become "a thing" over the years. It's never anything too expensive, just necklaces and earrings etc from small designers at our local boutique that exhibits different artists. Before her last birthday she sent me a photo of a ring she saw in there and fell in love with which was absolutely lovely. Dutifully bought it and a great birthday it was. Then she started showing me what it could look like on THAT finger and telling me how she didn't really like diamonds that much and she really liked coloured stones and unique pieces of jewellery over traditional engagement rings. So when the time was right, I nicked it from her jewellery box and proposed with it, explaining that we could choose an engagement ring together. She wore the birthday ring as a substitute until such time as we went to nearly every jewellery place in London. I kid you not. She didn't really like anything, except something at de beers which was priced slightly higher than the first house I bought... so we started looking at vintage stuff and bespoke artists who could work to a brief. Eventually after around a month of weekends feeling like this was going to be a long slog, I stumbled upon a bonhams auction that had a piece she would love, showed her the catalogue, she wasn't convinced but we went to the viewing anyway and when her eyes lit up, I knew we'd found the one. A huge opal, surrounded by nine little diamonds.
We went to the auction together and it was an unforgettable way of getting what we wanted. Not worth thinking about losing the auction, so went in prepared to come out without a kidney if I had to she still sits there and stares at it and won't stop talking about how it came about it to anyone who will listen, so it definitely worked out.
Best of luck on the proposal and the ring search and don't forget to enjoy it!
I concur with everyone saying get her something bespoke that you design or choose together. She's going to wear it forever so she better love it and feel like it was a decision you both had a part in. Definitely avoid high street jewellers. They seem to be full of people trying to sell their stock rather than listening for what you are really looking for.
I get my fiancée jewellery for every birthday / Christmas etc. It's just a thing that has become "a thing" over the years. It's never anything too expensive, just necklaces and earrings etc from small designers at our local boutique that exhibits different artists. Before her last birthday she sent me a photo of a ring she saw in there and fell in love with which was absolutely lovely. Dutifully bought it and a great birthday it was. Then she started showing me what it could look like on THAT finger and telling me how she didn't really like diamonds that much and she really liked coloured stones and unique pieces of jewellery over traditional engagement rings. So when the time was right, I nicked it from her jewellery box and proposed with it, explaining that we could choose an engagement ring together. She wore the birthday ring as a substitute until such time as we went to nearly every jewellery place in London. I kid you not. She didn't really like anything, except something at de beers which was priced slightly higher than the first house I bought... so we started looking at vintage stuff and bespoke artists who could work to a brief. Eventually after around a month of weekends feeling like this was going to be a long slog, I stumbled upon a bonhams auction that had a piece she would love, showed her the catalogue, she wasn't convinced but we went to the viewing anyway and when her eyes lit up, I knew we'd found the one. A huge opal, surrounded by nine little diamonds.
We went to the auction together and it was an unforgettable way of getting what we wanted. Not worth thinking about losing the auction, so went in prepared to come out without a kidney if I had to
she still sits there and stares at it and won't stop talking about how it came about it to anyone who will listen, so it definitely worked out.Best of luck on the proposal and the ring search and don't forget to enjoy it!
ecain63 said:
With the PH guys it is 90% over the phone and email. They send me the criteria and I see what's available.
I know how much everyone loves the certification on diamonds but from a reputable dealer you should also consider non-certified. The cost of the cert will be a hundred or more pounds on top of the stone and for a sub carat item it has no real benefit. Your eye cannot see the difference between a D and a G in daylight. Nor the difference between IF and Vs quality. Just compare and asses using your head. A crap stone is obvious.
I sell a lot of my stones non cert and unless over 1.5ct most insurance companies and valuers will cover a non cert stone.
PM me your specifics and I'll see what I've got.
Eddie
I've sent you a email to the address on your profile, can't seem to find PM's on my phone,I know how much everyone loves the certification on diamonds but from a reputable dealer you should also consider non-certified. The cost of the cert will be a hundred or more pounds on top of the stone and for a sub carat item it has no real benefit. Your eye cannot see the difference between a D and a G in daylight. Nor the difference between IF and Vs quality. Just compare and asses using your head. A crap stone is obvious.
I sell a lot of my stones non cert and unless over 1.5ct most insurance companies and valuers will cover a non cert stone.
PM me your specifics and I'll see what I've got.
Eddie
Adam
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